Network Effectively
Networking is seemingly simple, in fact you have probably been networking before and think you know how to do it – turn up and chat to a few people, eat some food and present your business… and it is mostly about that. However, how do you network effectively?
Be prepared
Make sure you are ready to attend your networking meeting before you attend. Check that you know who is the guest speaker, as well as who is the member spotlight. These are important as you may want to ask specific questions to help you in your own business, or you may know people in your network outside of the meeting who may find them useful. This is key to networking; it isn’t just what is happening in the meeting. There are a lot of experts in the room, and you have access to them for the duration in a way you won’t anywhere else, so ask the questions.
One to Ones
If there is someone you need to ask questions of, or learn from, and there simply is not time at the meeting, approach them and ask for a one to one meeting over coffee or lunch on another day, to learn more about them and their business. This is important not only for yourself, but so you can properly learn about that person and their business, and equally, so that they can learn about you and your business.
Take Notes
Most meetings will publish a schedule of the proceedings, and Ladies That Do Networking goes a step further in issuing a printed version for each of you so that you can annotate alongside the business profile of each member. This is another way to learn who is who and what they do, and the type of business they wish to attract. This is again where your network comes in.
Your Network
Your network are the people you know. It is that simple. Every single person you know, or come across in business, and even friends of those people you know. We have all met the ‘network marketer’ who will ruthlessly message every person they have connections with on their social media, and we do not want to emulate that way of networking, as it is incredibly ineffective and positively puts people off. This is often known as a ‘spray and pray’ style of marketing – you spray your business marketing about and hope you find your ideal client. Being a member of a valuable networking group like Ladies That Do can instantly put you in the ‘sniper’ style of marketing. That is because we get to know you and exactly what kind of business you want and then only recommend the right kind of person to you, who is also more likely to become a paying customer because they trust the person that has given them your name. Never randomly recommend someone to a business unless you are sure that they are right for it.
This in turn protects your business reputation, as well as your personal reputation. Your word becomes reliable, and therefore you are a reliable businessperson, too.
Your 60 seconds
Your 60 seconds, when you get up and deliver your ‘elevator pitch’ to all the other members in the room, is how you market your business in the meeting. This is the most valuable minute for you in the meeting, because without it, no one can get to know you or your business. Deliver it with confidence, state your name and your business, tell us something interesting, or something you need, and then remind us of your business and name. If you have a motto or tagline, pop that in there too. Repetition is how we will remember you.
Your Member Spotlight
If you decide to do a member spotlight for the group, you get a whole ten minutes to talk about your business! You have ten times the normal monthly 60 seconds and you can deliver a lot of information in that time. You also get extra promotion for the whole month on the social media channels, so is worth considering. Some points to consider when writing your member spotlight-
- Don’t have lots of text with your pictures on your PowerPoint presentation, have short points.
- Don’t read the text on the slides, most people have read them already and will become bored of the repetition.
- DO talk conversationally about the pictures you present.
- DO include interesting personal or business facts, create talking points amongst the members.
- DO have an interactive element to your talk, get the members engaging – this is how you create a memorable spotlight.
Your Table
Finally, have the bigger conversations with the members at your table. Use this time to chat about hobbies, families, and yes, business. Next time you attend, sit at a different table, and with different members. This is another valuable way to get to know everyone and understand their business.
And if you understand more businesses in the room, then more businesses in the room understand you.
Kelly, Kelly, and Chloe,
Ladies That Do Networking